E-commerce readiness and training needs of small-scale dairy processors in Serbia: Understanding barriers and knowledge gaps

The objective of this study was to identify the requirements needed for selling dairy products through e-commerce, as well as current gaps and challenges that exist for small scale dairy processors (SSDPs), and need to be addressed in order to comply with those requirements. A mixed method research design was used for training needs assessment. Qualitative (in-depth interview with 7 online platform representatives (OPRs)) and quantitative approach (survey questionnaire with 58 SSDPs) were conducted. Interview transcripts were coded and codes were grouped into seven themes. Hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to 146 answers from 58 SSDPs. They were divided into 4 clusters. Mean sums of responses between clusters were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. OPRs suggested that SSDPs should be provided with tools and resources to help them achieve food safety and quality targets, as well as practical knowledge and skills. They reported that it is crucial to find a solution for the cold chain transportation, for maintaining consistent product quality. Survey results showed that SSDPs use kitchen equipment (79.3%) and kitchen cleaning products (81.0%) for dairy processing. In total, 43.1% process raw milk and only 24.1% have product label on the package. Only members of cluster 3 and 4 sell their products online (73.7% and 90.0%, respectively), mostly using their own social media platforms (57.9% and 60.0%, respectively), transporting products to end buyers by themselves in hand refrigerators (47.4% and 70.0%, respectively). By analyzing the differences among clusters of SSDPs, trainings can be tailored to the characteristics and knowledge gaps of each group.

Confronting Views of Companies and Authorities on Food Safety Issues-A Cross-Country Survey

This study investigated food safety issues as perceived by food companies and food safety authorities in six countries in Europe and Central Asia. A total of 66 companies and 16 authorities participated in the survey. The results provide important insights related to what the main food safety priorities are, how they are addressed in the countries that participated in the survey, and what the role of the main stakeholders is in the food value chain. Almost 50% of food companies identified 'food fraud' as the most influential food safety attribute. One-third of food safety authorities recognized 'food safety management system' as the most influential food safety attribute. Principal component analysis separated food safety statements into two dimensions named 'food safety hazards and risks' and 'food safety system'. Although there are slight differences in food safety statements between the two stakeholders, i.e., food companies and food safety authorities, it is the country of origin that plays a more important role in understanding their views. Food companies will need to implement a systemic approach and transform the entire food value chain continuum while considering new food safety challenges. It is expected that food safety authorities will have to play a more proactive role in the future.

Cumulative risk assessment of dietary exposure of the adult population in Serbia to pesticides that have chronic effects on the thyroid gland through fresh fruits and vegetables

In contrast to the traditional approach to risk assessment, which focuses on a single chemical, cumulative exposure and risk assessment considers the consequences of exposure to multiple chemical combinations. A cumulative risk assessment of dietary exposure of adult females and adult males to pesticides with chronic effects on the thyroid was conducted by estimation of the Total Margin of Exposure (MOET). Exposure to each active substance was estimated using a second-order Monte Carlo simulation. Input values for the simulation were based on over 2300 conventionally produced fruit and vegetable samples analysed from 2021 to 2023 and consumption data collected using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and 24h recall method. MOET values, for both populations assessed, did not exceed thresholds for regulatory consideration established by risk managers. Considering that MOETs values from consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables were relatively close to the threshold value, total exposure to the pesticides could likely reach risk-associated MOET levels, through the consumption of other food products that may be contaminated.

Challenges and potential for detecting and quantifying titanium dioxide in food

BACKGROUND

Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) is banned in some countries but its use is still permitted in others. The global food supply chain is therefore challenged with the need to use rapid and reliable testing methods to either detect the presence of TiO2 or to quantify its concentration. The goal of this study was to determine the feasibility of using color, texture profile analysis, Raman microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy to detect and quantify TiO2 in fillings used in the pastry and confectionery industry. In this study, two types of fillings were investigated: vanilla based and chocolate based. All fillings were prepared in four different variations - without TiO2 and with three concentrations as follows: 0.25 g*kg-1 , 0.5 g*kg-1 , or 0.75 g*kg-1 TiO2 per sample. The methods were selected for their ability to analyze the samples in a short period of time.

RESULTS

All of the methods showed moderate to high potential for detecting TiO2 in the samples. The results reveal how TiO2 affects the food matrix color and texture. Use of Raman microscopy confirms its detectability, although concentrations of TiO2 do not follow a pattern. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy showed the greatest potential as it can not only detect TiO2 but can also quantify its concentration in the samples.

CONCLUSIONS

The highest potential for quantifying the concentration of this food additive was achieved with XRF. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Consumer Perception of Food Fraud in Serbia and Montenegro

The main objective of this study was to investigate how food fraud is perceived among consumers in Serbia and Montenegro. A total of 1264 consumers from the two countries participated in an online survey during the second half of 2022, using Google forms®. In the Serbian population, older or highly educated respondents are aware of different types of fraudulent activities such as substitution, mislabeling, concealment, and counterfeiting. Dilution is mostly recognized by women, the younger population, and students. Consumers believe that trust is the most important factor when purchasing food. The highest level of agreement regarding food fraud is that such activities may pose serious health risks to consumers, and that food inspection services are the most responsible actors in the food chain continuum. When it comes to purchasing food, open green markets are most trustworthy, followed by hypermarkets. Concerning the types of food, fish is most susceptible to fraud, followed by olive oil. This study builds upon existing knowledge of food consumers about food fraud in Europe.

Eurasian consumers' food safety beliefs and trust issues in the age of COVID-19: evidence from an online survey in 15 countries

BACKGROUND

This investigation provides an important insight into Eurasian consumers' food safety beliefs and trust issues influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in 15 European and Asian countries involving more than 4000 consumers.

RESULTS

It has confirmed that different socioeconomic characteristics, cultural aspects and education levels shape food safety perceptions within Eurasian countries. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced their beliefs and trust in food safety, which is relatively low on average. However, it is significantly higher for European consumers (especially European Union ones) compared to their Asian counterparts. Both Asian and European respondents agreed that food fraud and climate changes represent a food safety issue. However, European consumers were less concerned regarding the food safety of genetically modified foods and meat and dairy analogs/hybrids. Asian consumers were, to a greater extent, worried about the risk of getting COVID-19 from food, restaurants, food retail establishments and home food deliveries.

CONCLUSION

Eurasian consumers have put their greatest extent of trust, when food safety assurance is concerned, into food scientists and food producers holding a food safety certificate. Broadly, they are uncertain to what extent their federal governments and food inspectors are competent, able and efficient in ensuring food safety. Higher education of Eurasian consumers was followed by increased food safety confidence in all parts of the food chain. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries

Because edible insects (EI) have been, in recent years, recommended as a nutritious animal protein food with enormous environmental advantages over other sources of animal protein for human consumption, studies aimed at investigating the consumer perspective have become more prominent. Hence, this study intended to examine the perceptions of participants from different countries about the commercialization and economic and social impacts of edible insects. The study was made using a questionnaire survey, and data were collected in Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. The final number of received answers was 7222 participants. For the treatment of the results, different statistical techniques were used: factor analysis, internal reliability by Cronbach's alpha, cluster analysis, ANOVA to test differences between groups, and Chi-square tests. The results obtained confirmed the validity of the scale, constituted by 12 out of the 14 items initially considered, distributed by 4 factors: the first related to the economic impact of EIs, the second related to the motivation for consumption of EIs, the third related to the places of purchase of EIs, and the fourth corresponding to a question presented to the participants as a false statement. A cluster analysis allowed identifying three clusters, with significant differences between them according to all the sociodemographic variables tested. Also, it was found that the participants expressed an exceptionally high level of agreement with aspects such as the difficulty in finding EIs on sale, knowledge acting as a strong motivator for EI consumption, and the role of personalities and influencers in increasing the will to consume EIs. Finally, practically all sociodemographic variables were found to be significantly associated with perceptions (country, sex, education, living environment, and income), but not age. In conclusion, the perceptions about EI commercialization were investigated and revealed differences among samples originating from different countries. Moreover, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were found to be strongly associated with their perceptions.

Quality and Oral Processing Characteristics of Traditional Serbian Ćevap Influenced by Game Meat

This study analyzes the influence of two different types of game meat (deer and wild boar) in relation to quality characteristics and oral processing attributes of skinless sausage. The goal of this study was to compare grilled game-meat-based "ćevap" with conventional pork-meat-based samples. Research comprised of color analysis, evaluation of textural components, testing degree of difference, temporal dominance of sensations, calculation of main oral processing attributes, and examination of particle size distribution. The results show that oral processing attributes are similar in between samples and concur with results of the pork-based sample. This confirms the working hypothesis that it is possible to make game-meat-based "ćevap" fully comparable with conventional pork meat products. In parallel, color and flavor characteristics are influenced by the type of game meat in the sample. Most of the dominant sensory attributes that occurred during mastication were game meat flavor and juiciness.

Beef and plant-based burgers' mastication parameters depend on texture rather than on serving conditions

Previous studies dealing with plant-based meat analogs confirmed the potential of oral processing methods to identify options for improving those products. Knowing that sensory perception can be influenced by adding condiments, this short communication aimed to investigate the texture and oral processing of four plant-based burger analogs and a beef burger when consumed in portions or as part of model meals with buns and sides. Texture profile analysis indicated that beef burgers and analog E were the toughest. Two analogs (B and S) showed textures close to beef, while one (analog D) displayed significantly lower values for hardness, toughness, cohesiveness, and springiness. The instrumental data was only partly reflected in the mastication parameters. Adaptations in mastication behavior were expected, but differences between the plant-based analogs were smaller than anticipated, although clear differences were observed for consumption time, number of chews and number of swallows. On the whole, mastication patterns concurred within different consumption scenarios (portions, model burgers), and significant correlations with instrumental texture were obtained.

Handling the impacts of climate change on soil biodiversity

Land as a whole, and soil, in particular, plays a critical function in the climate system. The various types of land use, especially agriculture and forestry, account for nearly a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the world's soil is under pressure from many factors, including climate change and land use change. Increases in temperature, prolonged drought and floods put pressure on the soil. In order to contribute to a better understanding of these interactions, we conducted a review combining a narrative-focused approach, selecting examples worldwide, and a bibliometric analysis (VosViewer software). This review reports on a study that analyses how climate change and land use change may negatively influence soil biodiversity and related services. It also outlines some of the actions needed to increase the resilience of soil biodiversity in the context of a changing climate. Some key findings are: 1) Well-managed soils are critical for resilient production systems. 2) Integrated agricultural production systems have gained prominence as climate-resilient production systems. 3) Agricultural zoning may be a valuable tool in integrated systems to minimise the effects of climate change. However, it is vital to continuously monitor environmental variations so producers can be more prepared for climate change and extreme events. Finally, adequate water management is essential for soil functioning under climate change aggravating water scarcity. An intersectoral approach between critical sectors facilitates comprehensive water management.

Consumer attitudes and perceptions towards chilled ready-to-eat foods: a multi-national study

Understanding consumers' behavior and their handling of high-risk foods at home is essential for reducing the number of foodborne illnesses. This study shows the results of a cross-national analysis of consumers' perception from nine countries, and the identification of customers' clusters and its characteristics in order to understand customers' behavior, and to build safe chilled ready-to-eat (RTE) foods prevention strategies. The cluster analysis resulted in two clusters: (1) "Precautious consumers" characterized by the orientation towards pre-packed RTE foods, with consumers mainly coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey. Their attitudes and self-reported practices may be categorized as less risky in terms of food-borne illnesses connected with the consumption of RTE foods; (2) "Unconcerned consumers" preferred cutting and slicing RTE foods freshly at the point of purchase, usually sold at the delicatessen department in a supermarket or at open markets. Those consumers mostly came from Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia and their attitudes and self-reported practices were riskier. These results allow a better understating of what characterizes consumers of RTE foods in different countries.

The influence of different cooking treatments on vegetables' bolus properties

The influence of boiling, steaming, grilling and sous-vide treatments on bolus properties of vegetables was investigated. Cooking produced potato boluses with large particles or pasty boluses unsuitable for analysis. Celeriac preserved its brittleness and produced more small particles as mastication prolonged. Eggplant and zucchini were similar and both produced relatively large particles throughout the mastication. Saliva incorporation results showed an uncommon trend since boluses from the moment of swallowing did not have the highest moisture content. It was inferred that boiling had similar effects as steaming on one side, and grilling had similar effects as sous-vide on the other.

An overview of the interactions between food production and climate change

This paper provides an overview of how food production influences climate change and also illustrates the impact of climate change on food production. To perform such an overview, the (inter)link between different parts of the food supply chain continuum (agriculture production, livestock farming, food processing, food transport and storing, retail food, and disposal of food waste) and climate change has been investigated through a bibliometric analysis. Besides UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, associated with climate change, other SDGs that are associated with this overview are goals #1, #2, #3, #6, #7, #12, and #15. Based on the evidence gathered, the paper provides some recommendations that may assist in efforts to reduce the climate-related impacts of food production.

Assessment of Environmental Impacts from Different Perspectives-Case Study of Egg Value Chain System in Serbia

The environmental performance of various aspects of animal origin food supply chains has been the focus of research in recent years, and has provided useful information. However, there were no studies that covered the entire egg supply chain from different perspectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the majority of environmental impacts in the table egg supply chain comprising of three subsystems: farms, retail outlets and households, with quantification of each individual subsystem and the entire supply chain. All data were gathered from 30 farms, 50 retail stores and 300 households in Serbia. In parallel, the perception and ranking of environmental impacts along the supply chain were also evaluated. Finally, the quality function deployment for the environment was used to determine the degree of correlation between the set of environmental requirements and the identified environmental impacts. Results revealed that the greatest environmental impacts come from the production of feed for laying hens and the use of natural resources, and they contribute the most to the pollution of each individual environmental indicator. Additionally, the results show the differences in the environmental impacts of each individual subsystem and identify opportunities to mitigate them through the optimization of animal feed, energy consumption and household food waste management. The overall perspective of the egg supply chain points to climate change effects as the most important. The differences in the perceptions of environmental impacts along the entire egg supply chain suggest the need for promotion of mitigation strategies to all stakeholders that would encourage them to achieve sustainable development goals.

Reformulation of Traditional Fermented Tea Sausage Utilizing Novel (Digital) Methods of Analysis

The main objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of fat reduction on different quality traits of tea sausage. This study also aimed to deploy the following digital methods of analysis: three-dimensional (3D) laser imaging, computer vision system and oral processing. Three batches of tea sausage with different amounts of pork back fat were manufactured: control (25%), medium fat (17.5%) and low fat (10%). Samples for the analyses were taken on the production day and after 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of ripening. The fat level significantly influenced shrinkage, texture, pH, a_w, moisture and ash contents, peroxide value, acid number, number of chewing strokes, consumption time, eating rate and fat intake rate. Oxidative stability, colour and microbiological parameters were not affected by fat reduction. The results of the sensory analysis showed that the fat level can be reduced to 17.5% without negatively affecting the quality and sensory properties of the product. The ripening time of the fat-reduced tea sausage should be reduced to 28 days. A strong correlation between shrinkage and weight loss suggests the possibility of using 3D laser imaging in predicting weight loss and moisture content of dry sausages.

An assessment of requirements in investments, new technologies, and infrastructures to achieve the SDGs

Background

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires much planning and the provision of resources, especially regarding the necessary investments, technologies and infrastructures needed. Yet, it is presently unclear how available these elements are, what gaps exist, what changes have taken place in terms of their availability since the adoption of the SDGs and what their requirements will be in the future. The knowledge gap has become even more concerning because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a bibliometric analysis, an assessment of the global progress of SDG implementation and requirements, identifying challenges through the development of a matrix, and a set of 11 case studies to triangulate the holistic analysis, an assessment of the global progress of the SDGs implementation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this process was carried out.

Results

The findings suggest that the scope and width of resources limitation are currently undermining the implementation of the SDGs. Apart from the fact that the pace of progress has been insufficient, the potential of the SDGs in pursuing sustainability and improving life quality is not fully realised. This trend suggests that a substantial acceleration of the efforts is needed, especially for the five SDGs whose progress since 2015 has not been optimal, namely SDG2, SDG11, SDG13, SDG15, and SDG16, while SDG3, SDG7, SDG9, SDG14, and SDG17 show signs of progress. The case studies showed that different industries have dissimilar effects on achieving the SDGs, with the food sector correlating with 15 SDGs, as opposed to the energy sector correlating with 6 SDGs. Accordingly, the priority level assessment in terms of achieving the SDGs, points to the need to further advance the above-mentioned five SDGs, i.e., 2, 11, 13, 15 and 16.

Conclusions

This study fills in a knowledge gap in respect of the current need for and availability of investments, new technologies, and infrastructures to allow countries to pursue the SDGs. It is suggested that this availability is rather limited in specific contexts. In respect of the needs to be addressed, these include resource-related constraints, limited technologies and infrastructures, affecting SDG2, SDG11, SDG13, SDG15, and SDG16, whose progress needs to be enhanced. Since the global progress in the process of implementation of the SDGs depends directly and indirectly on addressing the resource gaps, it is suggested that this topic be further investigated, so that the present imbalances in the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental, be adequately addressed.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12302-022-00629-9.

Purple eggplant and zucchini color, mechanical properties, mastication, and sensory perception influenced by boiling and grilling

The present study investigated the influence of boiling and grilling deployed at 15, 30, and 45 min on selected eggplant and zucchini qualities. The colorants present in these vegetables contribute to their attractive appearance while presenting health-benefit components. This study shows that boiling and grilling differently affected the color properties of the eggplant and zucchini flesh and skin, leading to discoloration. However, the multifactorial mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not yet fully uncovered. Both boiling and grilling caused softening in examined vegetables within cooking prolongation, but different effects were observed. In the case of grilling, large- and small-deformation mechanical parameters established higher values. Thus, grilling produced firmer samples, which was further projected on mastication and dynamic sensory perception. Although there was limited differentiation in mastication parameters, it was observable that grilled products were more mastication-demanding. The number of chews and consumption time provided most of the information and established higher values for short-time cooking treatments and grilling. As a consequence, samples that had longer in-oral exposure times were perceived as bitter (eggplant) or sweet (zucchini). Oppositely, boiled vegetables were juicier. Regardless of the type of vegetable or cooking method, the shortest cooking treatments resulted in products dominantly perceived as firm.

Materials Properties, Oral Processing, and Sensory Analysis of Eating Meat and Meat Analogs

To increase the appeal of plant protein-based meat analogs, further progress needs to be made in their sensory perception. Given the limited number of studies on meat analogs, this review focuses on structure, oral processing, and sensory perception of meat and subsequently translates the insights to meat analogs. An extensive number of publications has built the current understanding of meat mechanical and structural properties, but inconsistencies concerning terminology and methodology execution as well as the wide variety in terms of natural origin limit solid conclusions about the control parameters for oral processing and sensory perception. Consumer-relevant textural aspects such as tenderness and juiciness are not directly correlated to single structural features but depend on an interplay of multiple factors and thus require a holistic approach. We discuss the differences in mastication and disintegration of meat and meat analogs and provide an outlook toward converting skeptical consumers into returning customers. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 13 is March 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Handling climate change education at universities: an overview

BACKGROUND

Climate change is a problem which is global in nature, and whose effects go across a wide range of disciplines. It is therefore important that this theme is taken into account as part of universities´ teaching and research programs.

METHODS

A three-tiered approach was used, consisting of a bibliometric analysis, an online survey and a set of case studies, which allow a profile to be built, as to how a sample of universities from 45 countries handle climate change as part of their teaching programs.

RESULTS

This paper reports on a study which aimed at identifying the extent to which matters related to climate change are addressed within the teaching and research practices at universities, with a focus on the training needs of teaching staff. It consists of a bibliometric analysis, combined with an online worldwide survey aimed at ascertaining the degree of involvement from universities in reducing their own carbon footprint, and the ways they offer training provisions on the topic. This is complemented by a set of 12 case studies from universities round the world, illustrating current trends on how universities handle climate change. Apart from reporting on the outcomes of the study, the paper highlights what some universities are doing to handle climate issues, and discusses the implications of the research.

CONCLUSIONS

The paper lists some items via which universities may better educate and train their students on how to handle the many challenges posed by climate change.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12302-021-00552-5.

Ease of mastication index-Quantification of mastication effort using quality function deployment

An effort required to masticate a bite of food seems important for a broad group of consumers considering many foodstuffs. Consumers with specific needs (elderly, people with impaired oral functioning) are also interested in ease of mastication. Besides understanding the relationships between mastication and sensory perception, a better insight into foodstuffs' mastication effort is needed to gain vital information when choosing the food and judging its quality. However, there is not much work describing the quantification of mastication effort as a quality grade. Within this research, we: (a) analyzed consumers' demands toward mastication attributes, (b) examined mastication, mechanical, and sensory parameters for nine foodstuffs (meat and dairy products), and (c) developed a quality function deployment model that connects consumers' demands with a multidimensional technical scale, enabling mastication effort quantification through a novel "ease of mastication index" (EMI). As a single-value quality score, EMI answers how much effort must be applied to masticate certain foodstuff. It is a left-sided index (it can have only positive values up to EMI = 1), having the maximal value for creamy cheese (0.96) and minimal (0.40) for fermented sausage in the present study, meaning the latter was the most difficult case study product for mastication. This study's practical application may be seen in the proposed model usage for foodstuffs research and development, bearing in mind ease of mastication. EMI may play an essential role as a novel quality indicator that can be considered crucial for broad and specific consumer groups.

Determinants of economic motivations for food choice: insights for the understanding of consumer behaviour

Food consumption involves several dimensions, being some of them directly associated with the consumers' characteristics. The interrelationships between these domains impact consumer behaviour for food choice and the consequent decisions for food consumption. In these frameworks, economic motivations are determinant. On the other hand, the scientific literature highlights that the economic-based stimuli to choose food is still underexplored. In this perspective, the objective of this study was to assess the main sociodemographic and anthropometric determinants of the economic motivations for food choice. For that, a questionnaire survey was carried out involving 11,919 respondents from 16 countries. A validated questionnaire was used, translated into the native languages in all participating countries, using a back-translation process. First, the information obtained was assessed through factor analysis to reduce the number of variables associated with the economic motivations and to identify indexes. After, and considering the indexes obtained as dependent variables, a classification and regression tree analysis was performed. As main insights, it is highlighted that the main determinants of the economic motivations are country of residence, age, gender, civil state, professional activity, educational level, living environment, responsibility for buying food, weight, height, body mass index, healthy diets and physical exercise practices. Additionally, the results also reveal that economic motivations may be associated with two indexes, one related to convenience attitudes and the other to quality concerns. Finally, the younger persons and the women are the social groups more concerned with healthy diets and food quality. In conclusion, this work confirmed that food choice is to a high extent influenced by several sociodemographic and behavioural factors.

Review on characteristics of trained sensory panels in food science

Sensory analysis has been, is, and will be one of the most important methods in judging food quality. As such, it is an evaluation tool involving human subjects with specific skills to conduct assigned series of tests. This review outlines main characteristics of 179 trained panels published in 16 selected scientific journals in the last 12 months, as well as training methods used for panelists, and type of sensory studies employed. The results reveal that two thirds of the panels have between eight and twelve members, with gender data provided in half of the papers. Overall duration of their initial training is presented only in around 20% of reviewed publications. When provided, duration was below 2 hr per session involving up to 10 sessions. One third of papers confirmed to have conducted training of the panel for methods employed, while almost half used experienced human subjects with no further data. Around 12% of all manuscripts have validated training of their sensory panel, while 20% of papers covered at least one criterion for assessment of their panels' performance. The majority of papers (80%) used descriptive methods, mainly with intensity scales. It is of note that 15% of papers used hedonic tests typical for consumer studies. Almost half of the scholars conducted their research in triplicates (41.3%) while almost one quarter (24%) provided no data on this subject. Type of food analyzed has no effects on the quality of data provided regarding panels, training, sensory methods, and replications.

Can we associate environmental footprints with production and consumption using Monte Carlo simulation? Case study with pork meat

BACKGROUND

Growing population demands more animal protein products. Pork remains one of the traditional and relatively sustainable types of meats for human consumption. In this paper, life-cycle assessment was performed using data from 12 pig farms. In parallel, a survey on the consumption of pork meat products was conducted analyzing responses from 806 pork meat consumers. The study aims to provide a quantitative calculation of six environmental footprints associated with the consumption of pork meat products in Serbia by analyzing data from pig farms and a pork meat consumption survey.

RESULTS

Results revealed that pork meat production is responsible for the emission of 3.50 kg CO2_e kg^-1 live weight, 16.1 MJ_e kg^-1 , 0.151 mg R11_e kg^-1 , 31.257 g SO_2e kg^-1 , 55.030 g PO_4e kg^-1 and 3.641 kg 1.4 dB_e kg^-1 . Further calculations reveal that weekly emissions of various environmental potentials associated with an average consumer of pork meat products in Serbia are estimated at values of 4.032 kg CO_2e week^-1 , 18.504 MJ_e week^-1 , 0.17435 mg R11_e week^-1 , 35.972 g SO_2e week^-1 and 63.466 g PO_4e week^-1 .

CONCLUSIONS

Results show that, on the one hand, pork products are responsible for environmental production impacts that mainly occur on farms while, on the other hand, consumption is characterized with high meat inclusion rates. As a leverage strategy it is recommended for producers to concentrate on lowering the production impacts rather than trying to reach consumers for sustainability conciseness. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Covid-19 pandemic effects on food safety - Multi-country survey study

This study provides an important insight into the response of food safety systems during the first months of the pandemic, elevating the perspective of preventing Covid-19 within conventional food safety management systems. A multi-country survey was conducted in 16 countries involving 825 food companies. Based on the results of the survey, it is obvious that the level of maturity of a food safety system in place is the main trigger in classifying companies and their responses to the pandemic challenge. Staff awareness and hygiene are the two most important attributes in combating Covid-19, opposed to temperature checking of workers in food establishment and health protocols from the World Health Organization, recognized as attributes with limited salience and importance. Companies confirmed implementation of more restrictive hygiene procedures during the pandemic and the need for purchasing more additional personal protective equipment. Retailers were identified as the food supply chain link mostly affected by the pandemic opposed to food storage facilities ranked as least affected. During this challenging period, all companies declared that food safety has not been compromised at any moment. It is important to note that less than a half of the food companies had documented any emergency plans associated with pandemics and health issues in place.

What Is the Color of Milk and Dairy Products and How Is It Measured?

Exactly six-hundred (600) scientific articles that report milk and milk products’ color results in scientific journals in the last couple of decades were reviewed. Thereof, the greatest part of the articles derived from Europe (36.3%) and Asia (29.5%). The greatest share of researchers used Minolta colorimeters (58.8%), while 26.3% of them used Hunter devices. Most reports were on cheese (31.0%) followed by fermented products (21.2%). Moreover, the highest number of papers reported color data of milk and milk products made from cow’s milk (44.81%). As expected, goat’s cheese was the brightest (L* = 87.1), while cow’s cheese was the yellowest (b* = 17.4). Most importantly, it appeared that color research results reported were often impossible to replicate or to interpret properly because of incomplete description of the methodology. In some of the manuscripts reviewed, illuminant source (61.0%), aperture size (93.8%), observer angle, and number of readings (over 70% of all cases) were not reported. It is therefore critical to set rules regarding the description of the methodology for (milk) color research articles in order to ensure replicability and/or comparison of studies.

Modelling relationships between raw milk quality parameters and climatic conditions - the case study of a 3-years survey in Serbia

This work examined the relationships between quality characteristics of raw milk and climatic conditions. Over a period of three years, a total of 5,065 samples were collected encompassing two types of farms. The quality characteristics analysed were titratable acidity (TA), total plate count (TPC) and somatic cells count (SCC). Climatic conditions were evaluated in respect to the outdoor air temperature, pressure, humidity and precipitation. Big farms showed a stronger correlation between TA and climatic conditions as opposed to SCC and climatic conditions. TPC was out of limit in big farms when the outdoor air temperature was higher than 19.8 °C (p<0.05) and during periods with accumulated precipitation over 4.2 mm (p>0.05). Small farms showed a stronger correlation between SCC and climatic conditions as opposed to TA. In these farms, occurrence of acidity out of limit was detected in less than 7.2% of samples. Samples with TA out of limit were observed when air temperature was higher than 18.4 °C (p<0.05) and accumulated precipitation was below 3.1 mm (p>0.05). These results can be used to improve good agricultural practices in respect to climatic conditions and size of farms.

The Effect of Protein Source on the Physicochemical, Nutritional Properties and Microstructure of High-Protein Bars Intended for Physically Active People

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of protein sources (algae, pumpkin, wheat, sunflower, rice, soy, hemp, pea, and whey) on selected physicochemical, nutritional, and structural parameters of high-protein bars. Texture properties, such as hardness, fracturability, cohesiveness, and adhesiveness, have changed depending on the type of protein used. A significant increase, in particular the hardness parameter relating to the control sample (whey protein concentrate-WPC80), was noted for bars containing algae, sunflower, and wheat proteins, with high values of the adhesiveness parameter concurrently. The use of proteins from algae, pea, and wheat resulted in a significant reduction in the water activity of the finished product compared to WPC80. Bars made with the use of wheat, hemp and pumpkin proteins had noticeably higher viscosities than other samples. Color of the tested bars measured by means of Computer Vision System (CVS) was from light cream (soy, pea) to dark green (hemp, pumpkin). Bars prepared of wheat and algae proteins had the highest nutritional value, while the lowest one was recorded in products containing sunflower and hemp proteins. There was a clear differentiation of amino acids (g/100 g) and microstructure in bars depending on the type of protein used. However, a slight similarity can be found between whey and soy proteins (amino acids) and between whey and sunflower proteins (microstructure). Obtained results suggest that selection of the right type of protein for a given application may have a significant impact on the physicochemical features and microstructure of high-protein bars and their nutritional values.

Comparison of Supercritical CO2-Drying, Freeze-Drying and Frying on Sensory Properties of Beetroot

The aim of this study was to compare the sensory quality and acceptance of dried ready-to-eat beetroot snacks as a result of different drying methods applied: supercritical CO2-drying (scCO2-drying), frying, and freeze-drying. Descriptive sensory analysis, quality rating (10 assessors), and consumer acceptance testing (n = 102) were performed. Mean overall quality scores within the range of "very good" quality were found only in non-precooked scCO2-dried samples which were characterized by typical magenta color, low level of shape and surface deformations, pronounced brittleness and crispiness, and good rehydration during mastication. The other samples were in the range of "good" quality. The pre-cooking step before scCO2-drying negatively influenced the sensory quality parameters, particularly appearance. Around 60% of tested consumers showed a preference for the fried and non-precooked scCO2-dried samples. The drivers of liking were mostly related to the characteristics of the product, which was salted, fried, and crispy, with an oily and overburnt flavor, i.e., the product most similar to commercial potato chips products. Freeze-drying had a negative effect primarily on appearance and flavor. According to the sensory evaluation conducted, direct scCO2-drying without a pre-cooking step showed itself as a promising alternative drying technology in the production of dried beetroot snacks.